The Presidency has strongly denied suggestions that Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent remarks were aimed at the ongoing political tension in Rivers State or were a veiled critique of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s constitutional interventions in the matter.
In a statement on Friday, Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), described such claims as a “gross misrepresentation” and a deliberate distortion by “mischief makers.”
At the heart of the controversy are comments made by Shettima during the public presentation of OPL 245: The Inside Story of the $1.3 Billion Oil Block—a book authored by former Attorney General Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN). According to the Presidency, Shettima’s remarks—recounting how the Jonathan administration once considered removing him as Borno State governor—were taken out of context by some media outlets to falsely connect them with the Rivers crisis.
“These reports have twisted the Vice President’s reflections on his own political journey and Adoke’s professionalism to fabricate a narrative that simply does not exist,” Nkwocha said.
He clarified that Shettima’s comments were a commentary on Nigeria’s constitutional evolution and federal-state relations, not a critique of current affairs. “For the avoidance of doubt,” the statement stressed, “President Tinubu did not remove Governor Fubara. What occurred was a constitutionally backed suspension during a political emergency.”
The statement further explained that Tinubu’s actions in response to the turmoil in Rivers—marked by a threatened impeachment and the demolition of the State Assembly complex—were grounded in Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution. The emergency proclamation, which temporarily suspended the Governor’s powers, was later ratified by a bipartisan vote in the National Assembly.
“To portray this suspension as removal is both false and misleading,” the Presidency insisted.
Nkwocha emphasized that Shettima’s remarks were extemporaneous and rooted in calls for principled leadership, referencing figures like Adoke and former Speaker Aminu Tambuwal as examples—not to challenge Tinubu’s decisions.
“The Vice President remains in loyal alignment with President Tinubu,” the statement said. “There is no daylight between their positions on governance, democracy, or the rule of law.”
In conclusion, the Presidency warned media outlets and political actors against manipulating public statements to create the illusion of division within the administration.
“We urge everyone to abandon the dangerous practice of twisting statements for cheap political gains,” Nkwocha said.
